Open-world games give players a chance to step into a huge environment with virtually no limits on where they can explore and see. The ability to seamlessly venture across a lush landscape all in the name of adventure is a truly great feeling, and when adding on a series of epic quests to follow, players feel even more connected to the universe around them. However, in some games, there is a problem that arises surrounding time-gated content, where interactions, events, or even entire questlines can be missed by not checking the clock in time. This is different from content being locked behind progress, as in those cases, certain characters and areas being inaccessible has less to do with the current time during the playthrough, and more to the wider story and the player's progress through it.
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By removing any major time limits or imposed locks of this kind, suddenly, the world becomes much more fun to explore, as players aren't rushing from place to place trying to see and do everything at once, and instead, they can focus on the areas and quests that matter to them first. Some of the best games in the genre use this ideology and manage to deliver an unmatched experience that truly captures the essence of being an explorer in an unknown world. There is an argument to say that maybe it makes things a little bit less realistic, as in the real world, people aren't going to wait around for an infinite amount of time, but at the end of the day, these are games that are intended to be enjoyed, so it is fine for those characters to hang about and wait for the player, rather than moving on and going on some quests of their own.
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Stories That Will Wait To Be Told
Details:
- No rushes to different questlines
- Player choices become more crucial than speed
Morrowind is one of the purest examples of an open-world RPG that refuses to rush the player. The world of Vvardenfell operates independently of real-world timers, daily resets, or limited-time events, meaning that players can take a leisurely stroll across the landscape without ever missing a single detail. Quests are discovered organically through exploration and dialogue, and once accepted, they wait indefinitely for the player to return, regardless of whether a task involves infiltrating a Great House, uncovering Daedric shrines, or following the main prophecy.
Content can become locked through decisions that the player makes throughout their journey, with some of the biggest examples coming from the joinable factions. Also, certain politically oriented questlines can alter certain relationships, which can have an impact on which characters become available to the player. The only other limiting factor comes from the day/night cycle, which affects NPC cycles in a pretty simplistic way, but for the most part, players are free to dawdle or speed run to their heart's content.
Fallout: New Vegas
Pacing That Matches The Player's Tastes
Details:
- Action occurring in unison
- No expiration of quests
Fallout: New Vegas excels at offering a massive open world that respects player pacing whilst still feeling alive. The Mojave is packed with quests that remain available until the player actively resolves them, often with multiple outcomes that can be radically different depending on the choices players make and the factions they align with. There are no expiration dates, meaning that even after dozens of hours, those early questlines will still be waiting around, with the NPCs never getting tired of doing nothing.
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Any real progression locks are entirely choice-based, and it is often pretty obvious when these moments occur. Aligning with the NCR, Legion, Mr. House, or Yes Man gradually closes off opposing paths, but this happens slowly through narrative decisions rather than long countdowns or seasonal mechanics. Even major story moments wait patiently until the player is ready, which feeds directly into the RPG concept of choosing exactly what to do and when to do it.
Elden Ring
Completing An Epic Journey In Your Own Time
Details:
- Constant access to all areas
- Small content locks, but not based on time
Elden Ring gifts players with one of the largest modern open worlds out there, and as daunting as it may be, they are never restricted by time. The Lands Between are open from the moment players step outside, and nearly every activity remains accessible regardless of how long the player takes, and as they will soon realize, it can be quite a lengthy process to even clear small chunks of the map. Bosses, dungeons, and secret side quests persist indefinitely, encouraging a kind of exploration that feels truly organic, mainly because there are no real markers, but also because there is no pressure to go to specific places in a set time frame.
Some NPC questlines can be altered or missed through specific actions, but the windows are pretty wide, meaning that if players are exploring thoroughly enough, they will likely manage to uncover virtually everything there is to see in a single playthrough. Day and night cycles affect the spawns of certain enemy types and encounters, yet the rest of the world remains intact, no matter how long it may take players to kill the Tree Sentinel. In a sense, the side content is actually more exciting and interesting than the main path, with so many different routes and hidden areas tucked away in every corner of the map, ensuring a constant sense of progress, without any unnecessary time pressures.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
True Open-World Freedom
Details:
- Exploration is virtually limitless
- Even end-game fights can be accessed early on
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redefined open-world freedom by removing nearly all restrictions at the start, both in terms of time and exploration. From the moment Link leaves the Great Plateau, players can explore Hyrule in any order, at any speed, even jumping all the way to the final boss with nothing standing in the way. All of the content stays active in the world, meaning that players can glide to the outer islands and explore the highest peaks, then do a full loop back to the start without anything being lost along the way.
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The only real time-related system comes in the form of weather, which affects gameplay in a more moment-to-moment way rather than locking content away. Several quests do require specific conditions, such as nighttime or certain weather conditions, but they never truly expire, making the world feel more like a giant adventure sandbox than a rushed adventure against the clock that players need to beat quickly in order to fully succeed. Even on subsequent replays, the game feels equally relaxing and enjoyable, capturing a sense of adventure that very few other games come close to.
Ghost of Tsushima
Moving Without The Passage Of Time
Details:
- Natural progression across regions
- Locks only serve as temporary barriers
Ghost of Tsushima turns the idea of an open-world game into a cinematic experience that delivers in virtually every aspect, from gameplay to narrative, all with no limits imposed by time. The island is a place that is simply begging to be explored, with players being given all the tools they need to naturally explore and liberate regions as fast or slowly as they desire. Later on, as the questlines become more complex, players will find themselves marching far across the landscape in search of answers, yet even if they miss anything on the way, there are always chances to come back later.
The progression locks are entirely narrative-based, tied to story chapters and player choices, but even then, these barriers are only temporary and get lifted shortly after the player presses on just a little further. Because of how large the world is, having no enforced time structure makes the exploration and questlines a whole lot more enjoyable to engage with, as rather than running around in a state of panic, players can take in the beauty of the environment at the same time as moving forward with the story. This also feeds into the tranquility and calm that the game really tries to emulate, ensuring that even in the most stressful and intense moments, the action is never rushed or overly forced, instead feeling like just another step along the journey.
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